Outdoor Clocks: Probably the first outdoor clocks known to American
Colonies were tower clocks or clocks that were brought here from England or
Europe by colonists. Many of the churches or public buildings had clocks
installed in their towers by use for all the townspeople, since the ownership of
clocks by individuals was scarily a necessity in those early years of
colonization.
Before 1850 most of the outdoor tower clocks were made on special order by
the various clockmakers for churches and public buildings. After that date
clocks were produced in quantity until about 1925, when their popularity ceased.
Movements of the clocks were either of iron, brass or wood.
Due to fires and other causes, comparatively few tower clocks have survived.
Most of the earliest clocks have been removed to be preserved in museums.